Tracking funding progress

> 95 %

of funding spent in high-income countries

< 33 %

of funding focused on youth, where 75% of disorders manifest

< 2 %

of funding for conditions causing >50% of lives lost

Read the 2020 report

Key focus areas

Advancing collaborative research efforts

We bring the right people together to address emerging challenges and opportunities in research. From digital mental health to lived experience, our initiatives and working groups tackle the big questions and pressing issues facing our sector.

Common Measures Illustration

Common measures

Driving the adoption of Common Measures

Given the fragmentation of mental health data, this initiative aims to simplify comparison, communication, and interpretation of research by using common measures.

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Common measures in mental health: a joint initiative by funders and journals (2023)

There is a proliferation of self-report measures (eg, over 280 for depression alone), meaning it is challenging for researchers to compare findings across different studies from different laboratories. To begin to address this issue, a consortium of mental health research funders and journals have identified a set of common measures that all researchers are encouraged to collect, in addition to any other measures they require for their specific study. This Health Policy outlines the rationale, objectives, and potential challenges of this initiative, which aims to enhance the rigour and comparability of mental health research by promoting the adoption of standardised measures.

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A collaborative effort to establish common metrics for use in mental health (2023)

Measurement is foundational to all medical research, and mental health research is no exception. By quantifying health outcomes, researchers and clinicians can interpret their findings in a reliable way and contextualize them with existing data, facilitating new discoveries and informing measurement-based care. In this Viewpoint, we provide a summary of a new project launched by a coalition of research funders and journals to improve the measures used in mental health research. We also ask for further input from the research community and from those with lived experience about the future direction of the initiative.

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Lived Experience Working Group

Provides funders with the resources and support to involve people with lived experience of mental health issues at all stages, ensuring those most impacted are part of the decision-making process.

Lived experience involvement in research funding: taking a more systematic approach (2023)

Historically, decisions about what research should be funded and how have been made without consulting people with lived experience (PWLE) of mental health issues. However, a recent survey from the International Alliance of Mental Health Research Funders (IAMHRF) suggests that the tide is beginning to turn, with an increasing number of funding organizations recognizing the value of involving PWLE in their decision-making processes. The survey, which included 31 government and private mental health research funders, sought to find out how many funders are involving PWLE in their work, and what practices they have adopted.

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Are mental health research funders ignoring vital voices? (2022)

For decades, decisions about mental health research and funding have been made behind closed doors, mainly by academic entities, governments and pharmaceutical companies with the official mandate and power to influence change. While this traditional approach to funding research has led to discoveries and some progress, it has also excluded many relevant stakeholders and contributors from key decisions, especially those who are directly impacted – people living with mental health issues.

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Mental health funding still in the shadows (2022)

This special feature was published in the Alliance Magazine's March 2022 issue on Mental Health Philanthropy. The article addresses why, despite the growing attention and recognition that mental health receives, funding levels for mental health research and care have stagnated. The IAMHRF calls for new structures, partnerships and alliances to unite the sector under an overarching strategy, one that links the disparate elements and disciplines of the mental health field.

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Digital Mental Health Working Group

Brings together funders and experts from the field to explore how we can better fund, scale up and regulate digital mental health interventions for greater impact.

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Communications Working Group

Developing a storytelling framework to strengthen mental health research advocacy, uniting the field with a compelling narrative that drives broader engagement and support.

Setting up new groups

We establish new working groups as needed, prioritising issues that:

  • Are timely and gaining momentum in the research sector
  • Could benefit from collective action among funders and the wider research community
  • Have strong interest from a significant portion of our membership
  • Align with our mission and unique capabilities 

Groups meet virtually every few months. Each one is time-limited and regularly reviewed to ensure it stays focused on the most pressing challenges and opportunities in the sector. If you are keen to get involved or have a topic to suggest, we’d love to hear from you.

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Researchers

Find funding and resources to support your research

Discover a curated selection of mental health research funding opportunities. Sign up for free access and take the next step in your research journey.

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